Multichoice Nigeria Limited, operators of cable pay-tv service, DStv, has gone ahead to implement their new tariff despite an injunction by an Abuja-based Federal High Court preventing the company from doing so.
As expected, DStv customers are displeased and outraged by this development; even as they want the authorities to stop Multichoice from acting like a monopolist. One Professor Tony Afejuku, a DStv customer and a lecturer at the University of Benin, particularly called on the authorities to step on the matter.
“Something needs to be done urgently. This is simply exploitation! I am aware that the case is in court and the court told them not to increase tariff. The pronouncement subsists, though there were claims that they have appealed. But an appeal is no judgement until the judgement of the high court is set aside, the order restraining them from increasing tariffs subsists. Multichoice cannot be too clever by half.”-Prof. Afejuku
As we reported, Justice Nnamdi Dimgba of the Federal High Court, on August 20th, prevented DStv from a proposed price hike. The court injunction followed a petition by the Consumer Protection Council (CPC) which was filed nineteen days after the pay-tv company had already commenced the new tariff plan.
Meanwhile, the court has restated its resolve…
Following DStv’s flagrant disobedience of the court order, Justice Dimgba of the Abuja Federal High Court has issued a statement about the court’s earlier resolve saying that it “still subsists and in force.” He also noted that the CPC knows what to do in a situation whereby a valid court order is flouted.
He also warned DStv to desist from acting in a manner that would “over-reach the court”.
Nigeria is a huge market for Multichoice’s DStv; a market the company dominated for many years until recently when other players such as Kwese TV emerged on the scene.
